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Shooting Abstracts by The Sea

There’s something hypnotic about a receding tide. The clean, fresh sand and the draining sea water produce some amazing patterns which beg to be photographed.

This one took a lot of post processing to get the desired result – mainly in the ‘levels’ control to stretch highlight and shadow to produce something from a very ‘flat’ shot. This was taken on a Sony P200 in Bournemouth on the way to work some years ago.

Similarly here – but less processed – this was taken in Jersey (UK) at Plemont Bay – one of the best beaches in the UK with the fastest receding tide and the cleanest fine sand I’ve ever seen. Canon 60D.

Another at Plemont Bay – this time on film – Rollei Blackbird film in an OM2.

Back to Bournemouth and not really the beach. There’s a stream which flows through some gardens which had overflowed onto the path leaving this muddy residue.

The beach is kept in place with wooden groynes – barriers to stop the sand migrating eastward. This one had some rivets in a nice pattern and a line of algae which marked the high water mark.

Back to Jersey and a stream of water which runs across the fine sand as the tide goes out. The knot of weed made the composition.

Finally a heavily processed reflection of some buildings on the sea front in Bournemouth.

As always these shots are taken for the book cover market, and all comments, critiques and questions are welcome.

Thanks for looking – hope you like them and they give you some creative ideas for your photography.

I love this idea and am really struck at the patterns left by the water receding from the sands. I’ve never seen a pattern like this before, but will be much more attentive when I’m near sandy shorelines again.